New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-04
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NEW ALDERMEN AND OH
Mr.. HEwIrrs MESSAGE TO HIS BOARD

'-" 'i' Wits MESSAGE TO HIS BOARD.
PRESIDENT BEEkMAN THE ACTING MAYOR-rrTcn.
ING DIVER VICE PRESIDENT.
The old Board Of Aldermen of 1886 held ,ts ,..s
meeting yesterday. A letter was received from,
the Corporation Counsel stating that urdsr ~
law governing the granting of franchises to strans
railway companies the Board had no noyver 70 A.
higher rate Of compensation to be Maid nv thos.
companies than that provided by law. Mr.
Mooney then moved the adoption of the resolution,
granting franchise to the Mcrose and Wesh
'io'risahia Railroad Company. Notwithstanding
.ne veto OF The Mayor This was lost the resolu.
tioh receiving Is votes to against. Mr. Mor,au
moved chat the thanks Of the Board be ten nlered
10 President Mooney for the impartial manner in
which he had presided over the deliberations Of
the Board for the last year. Mr. Van Rensseaeu
moved That the same be extended to Clerk
iwomcy AMI the members of the Press Both
resolutions were carried unanimously Al 1I:30
a. IN. The Board was declared ad iourned
When President Henry r. Beelxman called ths
new Board Of Aldermen together nj noon voste,.
DAY every member was present Mr.. Beekman
re"o long. address, He enumerated the powers
vi thc Aldermen On the question of RAILROAD
| franchises President Beckman saws:
Inc expense and difficulties attending the organization Of
s' na'a q aS as
sss Sst :sS
condition that the maoy Of the property owS
S%s csas. Or M @ Sf ' s %
% ane 81 eSmIinat,oas TO prevent thar
sy ss s :.sss a;s Ss and often
desired .. sn securing reiuin value for
would BE- rs rlsre S. .psssf aSs Sots as s.: ;Ss
Which us Financial ia, results obtained by achange
SHa . Eoi Tr2'f % TOR the such saSna
hhs'ohefs OF the sinking Fund.- may require
Mr. Diver received IS votes for the Office OF
Vlce-presldent, Mr. Cowie 5 and Messrs. Flynn
Murray Long, Van Rensselaer, an Mooney each.
captain Francis j. 1womcy was unanimously
re-clectcd clerk OF the Board Messrs Diver.
Mooney ami Van Rensselaer, were appointed q
committee to call the Mayor and inform him
That the Board was ready for business Tho
committee reported that Mayor Hewitt was con.
iined TO his house by severe cold but that he
would communicate TO the Board in writing.
iri'atc Secretary Berry presented the annual mes
sage, which was read and 500 cories were ordereJ
printed. lhe message was follows:
MAYORS OFFICE, NEW York, Jan. g. 1887.
10 he Honorable. The Board Of AM>rmea:
BY the lO3d section OF the Now York Consolda.
toh Act of 1882, It II made the duty Of the Mayor
10 communicate To the Common Council, least
once year general statement OF the finances, gov.
crnlent and improyem of the city"
lhs duty can only be inelligenty performed aftes
the Mayor has hal time TO famiarize himself With
the actual oreration of the city government So fat
a. the finances of the city c0ncerned. however, all
the information which could POSSIBLY supply NJ the
pre'ent tine Is to be found in the statement, which
by the lo6th section Of the Consolidation Act, tho
Ton roller is requ rel 10 publish in "1he City Record"
two months before the election charter officers,
giving tho receipts and expenditure for the prev ious
year. This statement will lie Sounl in The city
fecor." No 1850. pu' Ii he'd the 10th Of October
last In which also Is included a table giving the in
'cl tcdness Of tho city the Both OF September,
1896. The Controller has furnished me with tho
anrexed supplementary statement made up 10 tho
3l-t OF Decent 1856 hy which 1t apI cars that the
total ciy debt at the close of the year amounted TO
sl3l .60l 1O3 81. from which is TO he deducted tho
sinking fund at that date. amount ng 10 SlS, ,2o4.
03s 10, leaving the net bonded in cbtrlness OF tho
the Ieginn Of the year S93,305 l45 a..
2 Ills amount ln' lu'ics revenue honis but excludes
the cash in the treasury, and ali unpaid and unii-
quldat"l accounts
or the fun Ell debt not held by the sinking fund.
Sl03S, 500 bears int rest at the rate OF per cent,
S3i .OcoOO bear, interest at the rae of per cent.
800 4So30O hears interest at the rate Of per cent.
II also apTca that of the total det, bonds TO the
amount OF s77,6o0,65l 40 are iayabe fIom the pro-
ccNs of taxation, a distinguished nom the revenues
pledged TO the Sinking Fund. The high rate of IN
tcrest - large portion OF the dc.t OF the city
no. he'll 10y the sinking lunh, AMI tho grcat amouno
or th' rolempt on OF matur NJ bOn's which muso
:nrualy lie col ted in the form Of dicct taxes upon
ropcrty. call for careful consideration, whether any
racticabe plan for refundng the city lebt can 10
10 relieve he taXraycr OF the present generation
rom a portion of the onerous contr at ons which arc
now male uay to the payment Of the principal
tie interest OF the debt, amounting IN the buiscs
or tho year 1887 10 51361, o. "a
. In sam to the second spcdicat on OF the section
above quotcl. relating to the "go' ernment OF mo
,it ." fin that It's M ni-trlton Is prict cally par
cellrd ont among eleven different departments al.
un crcd by comm ssions over whom the MAYOR nas
Il general SUI CRY isiOn an frOm whom he may require
such information he may desire: hut hc is clothed
,,if, ,it In Tree
the ecutic funct OF the commits oners In ther
respective departments The Mayor has power 10
fiji vacarcics in the commission, but he cannot mako
removals except for Gauss and removal even fos
cause only become OF erat We by the arproNai OF
the Governor When. Therefore, the Mayor has APP
poined a commissioner hi executive functions cease.
he cnmms oncrs and not the Mayor arc then resi- on.
ble for all APP OiImcns, AM 'or the @imlhisua'on
II the several departments. Tbs explanation seems
To he called for at this time in oricr TO remove mo
crr,ncous I'm, rcsson whi prevails in some quarters
hat the Mayor controls IA lar-e amount OF ohc,'l
a.ronaer, which In fact rst e. eNcluSi ely WIN mo
omm sons It will lie seen that the eh.enu'o
,rer ~ tho Nayor is thus very lim'el but the facs
of this lin,tlon makes the duty OF h'oStlSat on anu
n ervs on cOniled 10 him all the more ooii.'WH'
Tor this pur ose the Mayor Is snppioi WIN TWO
Commissioners Of Accounts. whose iuic' a.v
nmonr the most important subject 10 Ms ie'e's
direction | shall avail myself TO the u'ino'' eN"'S
~ the over thus confded TO me. abd VIII cause .
,hor,u,h examination TO be made. In the intent on
of asceraining whether any abuses exist any iaNs
ara violated and any reform can be insu'u'cd with
vill tens to economy or % the IMPROVEMENT ot "a"
ubljc serirc by larger expenditures II necd be, III
any derar,mcnt where there is any Just ground OF
, onu lant that its efficiency Il crippled ior "eh VI
neans Until these cAamn tons shall have been nlado
II VIII not lie IN my power TO express any ofhVu
n q, tho actual state Of the city government but mo
sus when asoertanci will be communication %
the Common Council AT the earliest possible homeh..
When this Information Ii secured ami dGcsuu' ~
will be Io.,ille ior the Mayor TO deal lnenlsch'y
with the third specification oil inc ... se"soa
hote Quoted relating to the imiro'ehens
~. 40 cty 1t is manifest 10 the most
N src,,, o. server that the ii III for such improve
nrnt. IS very large. ami will continue to grow wne
the rrowth Of the city. There Is general delnans
nr c,ter uaycments and cleaner streets, ami mieeH
49, I,tt,r cannot be had without the former "o
, u comforta.Ie 10 an h, ;hy tencncnts for Large
ortlon of our population, ana the ehiorceincn' y.